1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to trailer hitching alignment aids and more particularly pertains to a new trailer hitching alignment aid for helping a driver of a vehicle properly align the vehicle's hitch with the trailer tongue of the trailer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of trailer hitching alignment aids is known in the prior art. More specifically, trailer hitching alignment aids heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,930; U.S. Pat. No. 3,966,231; U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,610; U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,352; U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,621; and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 331,900.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new trailer hitching alignment aid. The inventive device includes a vehicle mounted assembly designed for mounting to a vehicle above a ball hitch of the vehicle and a trailer mounted assembly designed for mounting to a trailer tongue of a trailer. The vehicle mounted assembly comprises a main member and an elongate end member coupled to the main member. The end member is designed for coupling to the vehicle such that the main member is positioned above the ball hitch of the vehicle. An elongate first guide rod is upwardly extended the main member. The trailer mounted assembly comprises an upper member and a lower member having a top portion coupled to a lower end of the upper member. An upwardly facing trailer magnet is coupled to a bottom portion of the lower member. A center extent upwardly extends from a center region of the trailer magnet. The center extent is designed for insertion into the receiving socket of the trailer tongue of the trailer so that the trailer magnet may magnetically couple the bottom portion of the lower member to the trailer tongue of the trailer. An elongate second guide rod is upwardly extended from the upper end of the upper member. A light source is coupled to an upper end of the second guide rod. A switch is electrically connected to the light source and has an elongate actuator downwardly extending from the bottom portion of the lower member. The longitudinal axis of the second guide rod and the actuator of the switch are coaxially aligned with one another.
In these respects, the trailer hitching alignment aid according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of helping a driver of a vehicle properly align the vehicle's hitch with the trailer tongue of the trailer.